


Her Monster

by LectorEl



Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan)
Genre: F/M, Ra's is a jerk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-25
Updated: 2012-08-25
Packaged: 2017-11-23 04:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/617913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LectorEl/pseuds/LectorEl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ra's does not know this girl, who will humiliate herself for the life of another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Her Monster

Ra’s’ daughter is a creature of sullen silence, bitter rage, and vicious, unpredictable bouts of violence. She is fifteen and he has known her for two years. She speaks little of her childhood in the pit, dealing out only sparse details, only what she finds necessary.

Yes, her mother is dead. No, she was not alone after that. Her friend was there. Her eyes soften at the last, the first hint of human emotion he has seen from her, and so Ra’s allows himself to be persuaded to return for him.

If he had known, perhaps he would not have. It is only when they pull his daughter’s monster to the surface that he begins to realize how much of his daughter has been hidden from him.

His daughter had begged for the monster’s life. His daughter, proud, unyielding, singular, had bowed her head and begged. Ra’s does not know this girl, who will humiliate herself for the life of another.

The surprise is not the last. His daughter’s monster emerges from the league infirmary, mask in place, after weeks of effort by doctors and medics. His daughter, his cold, undemonstrative daughter, throws herself at the man.

“Bane!” she shrieks, working her way under his arm and climbing till she hangs from his neck, body supported by one of his broad arms. The entire room flinches at the first syllable, instinctively contracting backwards, away from the violence that she was capable of dealing out. None comes. His daughter is smiling, wide, delighted, more joyful than Ra’s though her capable. It is the first time he had ever seen his daughter smile.

She chatters like a bird in the odd pidgin tongue she had come to them speaking. Her happiness adds a softness to it, a lilt, that transforms the harsh syllables into something almost beautiful. Her monster watches her fondly, eyes warm as he does.

At last he says, “English or Spanish, little one.” Ra’s’ daughter _pouts_ , like a child denied a treat.

“Aww, but _Bane_ …” she says, English heavy with her odd accent. “That’s no fun.”

Her monster laughs, shaking his head, and Ra’s’ daughter giggles. Ra’s realizes this must be some private joke between them, a reference to some small and private memory that is only theirs.

It is then, that the seeds of his distaste for their relationship are planted. For Ra’s can see, as plain as daylight, that as long as his daughter has her monster, she will never need anyone else.


End file.
